Isabel Sam Photography – Lexington KY Photographer

Happy New Year! I hope 2011 was a fantastic year for you and that 2012 will be filled with even more blessings and peace!

Before having children I was able to give some time and images to grieving parents who sadly had to endure a still birth. It’s awful to have to give birth to a dead child. Awful. An organization started up a few years ago that gets volunteer photographers together so there is an “on call phone tree” of sorts to get a photographer to a hospital when a baby has passed. Many times the images this photographer takes will be the only ones ever taken of that baby during his or her time here on earth.

This organization is called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). They hold a fundraiser every winter looking for “North America’s cutest kid”! You basically get pictures taken by a participating photographer and then one image is uploaded to the contest. Anyone can vote to get their child more votes towards winning the contest and each vote costs $1 which is donated to NILMDTS. Winners get thousands of dollars in fabulous prizes. Official contest rules are located HERE.

I’m going to tie this model contest into mini sessions at Mother Nurture AND my spring fashion show. This year I’m going to include moms wearing babies and 8-12 year old children in the fashion show. So, here’s how you can get your child into this model search:

1) Call me (513-550-1329) to schedule a mini session at Mother Nurture on January 28th. The session fee including the entrance to the model search is $50. There is a minimum product order of $150 and anyone who spends more than $200 gets a $25 gift card to Mother Nurture!

2) RSVP by emailing me isabel [at] isabelsam.com that you are coming to the informational model show meeting on Feb. 11th. Anyone who models in the show will automatically be entered into the model contest

OR you can do the BEST of both worlds!!!!

3) Already know that your child WANTS to model in the fashion show? Email me (isabel at isabelsam.com) and I’ll send you the information for modeling! I’ll fit you into the mini-sessions at Mother Nurture on Jan. 28th for your model session and you’ll get a $35 gift card to Mother Nurture! (The advantage to this one is that your model session will be photographed earlier, thus more time for voting, and a bigger gift card to Mother Nurture since there is a bigger minimum purchase for the fashion show.)

And last, but not least, the official blog poster for the model search.

P.S. If you are a current high school junior who is interested in modeling in the fashion show, don’t worry, I am going to tie you guys into a model search that is specifically aimed at high school seniors.

Get excited people! It’s that time of year again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This fall we’re teaming up with Mother Nurture here in Lexington! It’s a wonderful store that helps green mothers and their babies make it through pregnancy and those difficult first years of life. I’ve had to buy so much of the products they sell in their store online! I wish I had a store like them when I had Solomon. Sigh.

BUT, now I have them here in Lexington and they are fabulous! So, our businesses got together and decided to throw a mini session party at Mother Nurture!

As usual, here are the rules of the game:

When: Saturday, November 12th from 10am to 3pm. You’ll sign up for a 15 minute session in a 30 minute time slot!

Where: at the green areas around Mother Nurture (2891 Richmond Rd # 102 Lexington, KY 40509). If the weather doesn’t cooperate we have a back up plan in the store!

How much: $50 session fee and $150 minimum product order. We, of course, have special mini session packages for you too!

How to schedule: Call me 513.550.1329 or email me isabel (at) isabelsam (dot) com to set up your session.

I’m so excited for this partnership and sooooo excited to see your lovely family soon!!!!

xoxo,

Isa

There was once a beautiful tiny little girl named Layla Grace. When she had just joined the ranks of “toddlerhood” her parents noticed something just wasn’t quite right with her. They took her to the doctor….and to make a long story short…the little sweetie was diagnosed with cancer. Yes, the ugly cancer. Unfortunately, cancer won over her little body. She joined the angels in heaven around this time last year. Her sweet mother wrote about all their ups and downs on her blog and twitter account and thousands of people started following her. The world mourned when sweet Layla left us.

Out of all this tragedy, the Layla Grace Foundation was born. You see, there are tons of ongoing research for many types of cancer, but childhood cancers don’t really get the same amount of attention. Layla’s foundation is working on changing that and helping parents deal with the ups and downs of helping their children live.

One way that you can help the families who are going through this awfulness is by giving to the Layla Grace Foundation and that’s where I come in. On April 9th photographers across the USA are putting on a portrait party for Layla! We’re offering mini-sessions to our clients and ALL of the proceeds go to Layla’s Foundation! How GREAT is that?!

Here’s how you can get SHOT for Layla!

Go here: http://store.laylagrace.org/categories/Portrait-Party-%2711/Lexington%2C-KY/ and purchase a session.

On April 1st I will get an email with everyone’s information and email you about your session.

When you purchase a session you get one 8×10. I’ve decided to also give you 3 of the best high-res retouched digital images from your session as an extra happy thingy.

I am offering a 25% discount on additional purchases at your viewing session.

Then bring your happy face to Jacobson Park in the morning on the 9th and get ready to have some FUN!!!!!

Thank  you, my wonderful readers, for loving on these families!

Love,

Isa

It’s almost that time of year people!!!!! Let’s get excited!

Do you need just a few fun family pictures for this year’s Christmas Card? Did you want to book me for a session, but just couldn’t afford my package prices? Well, I’ve got the perfect solution for you! It is time for Fall Mini-Sessions!!!!!

The rules of the game:

1. These sessions will take place from 10-6pm on Saturday, October 16th 2010 in Sharon Woods park just north of Cincinnati, OH.

2. You pick a 25 minute time slot for example – 10-10:30, 10:30-11..etc…(Yes, I know those are for 30 minutes but I need some time to find the next family/couple/high school senior/baby/pink elephant that is being photographed! Duh!)

3. The session fee is $100.00 (comes out to $106.50 with sales tax)

4. You get five (5) of the best images from your session that are retouched on a CD with reproduction rights to print as many copies as you’d like.

5. Don’t show up wearing matchy matchy outfits – I reserve the right to make fun of you if you do ! Please also avoid clothing with giant logos, baby doll tops, and or sleeveless/strapless tops. You do not want to attract attention to a thing or part of your body that you do not want to accentuate.

6. Please come in clothes that are YOU. Please feel free to be stylish. Please be comfortable in your clothes because if you are uncomfortable, it will show up in the photographs!

And last but not least, this is going to be my last time doing mini-sessions in Cincinnati with out my travel fee! Yep, that’s right, we are moving in t-minus 2 weeks! It’s not too far away, just to Lexington, KY and I’m still shooting in Cincinnati this fall. Since this move came about incredibly fast – I’ve decided to not charge a travel fee at all for anyone who books a fall session with me up in Cincinnati and I’m also not charging my travel fee to Cincinnati for anyone who books a wedding with me for next year before November! So, if you’ve got a contract just sitting around there – get it in!!!!

We are so super excited about this next stage in life and I am so thankful for the most awesome clients and friends I have in Cincinnati!!!!! You guys are the best and I’ll see you all again after my maternity leave!!!!

Much love,

Isa

We had fun at Caribou Coffee doing these If you missed it, but want to come to another one, I’ll be doing a few more this winter!

Meet Jennifer. She is the manager and super duper sweet!

Some crazy kid that was there….

No, they both are not pregnant! Jeremy’s got Bernies (formerly Jeremy’s sweater until it got shrunk down to Bernie’s size) sweater rolled up under his sweater.

Thanks for looking!!!!

Yep, they are all done! I’ll be emailing all of you to set up your viewing times

Here’s a preview for the last family of the day….because they may have been last, but they weren’t least!  They were so cute and so fun! (And I so wish I would have looked that great 3 months postpartum!)

Happy weekend everyone!

Due to popular demand – we’re doing another round of Mini-Sessions! Yay!

Here we go!!!

The rules of the game:

Where: Sharon Woods

When: Nov. 14th from 1:30-5:30pm

How much: $75.00 (sales tax is currently at 6.5%)

What do we get: 5 of the best retouched high-res images from the session on DVD with permission to reproduce!

Why: Because they are super fun! And because some people slacked and still want some mini-sessions for Christmas cards! (Yes, now is when you thank the slackers )

What should we wear? Something fun and comfy because you could end up sitting, standing, walking, jumping, and running! Oh and please feel free to show off your personal style!

Anything else? Em, everything is subject to change! The rain date is the 21st!

Thank you and see you at the park!!!!

This is going to be sticki-ed to the top until the sessions happen Feel free to scroll down to see new posts!!!!

Mini-sessions are really simple and fun portrait sessions! Sooooo if you are one of those people that want just a few quick pictures (for your Christmas card, because you never got pictures together with out wedding attire, or you think I’m just rad…) this is your session!

And now all the details:

1. The date is September 20th with a Sept. 27th rain date Pray for no rain

2. Sessions will last about 25 minutes long – if you are late that eats into your session time so be early!

3. First to reserve with money and signed contract gets the better times!

4. It’s $75.00 for a session – no matter if you book a family, maternity, baby, or senior session. (well and anything else you could book I’ll even photograph your favorite alien if you have one!)

5. Sales tax is at 6.5%

6. Everything could be subject to change

7. You will get rights to 5 to 8 images to reproduce as you wish. You can order prints and products too if you want.

8. We are going to do these from 1 – 6.

Email me at isabel [at] isabelsam [dot] com for more details! And tell all your friends and family – it’s going to be a blast!

Edit: I’m going to sticky this to the top until the mini-sessions happen Go ahead and scroll down to read new posts!

I’ve always wanted to do one of these! They are these really fun short portrait sessions in a park and I thought April would be a great time for some pictures to give your mom for mothers day! So, everyone clear out your calendars for Saturday April 11th (Sunday April 19th is the rain date…so keep that open too for just in case!) to spend a half hour with me at Sharon Woods!

And now all the details:

1. Sessions will last one half hour long – if you are late that eats into your session time so be early!

2. First to reserve with money and signed contract gets the better times!

3. It’s $75.00 for a session – no matter if you book a family, maternity, baby, or senior session. (well and anything else you could book I’ll even photograph your favorite alien if you have one!)

4. Everything could be subject to change

5. You will get rights to 5 to 8 images to reproduce as you wish. You can order prints if you want.

6. We are going to do these from 10 – 3 with a half hour break for me to eat. I like food

Email me at isabel [at] isabelsam [dot] com to book your session! And tell your friends – it’s going to be a blast!

And since a post with out a picture is sad on a photographer’s blog…here you go!

My little swimmer with his wonderful daddy!

See you at the park!